The Nazareth Tales

By Jerre Cline

The Nazareth Tales is a heartwarming contemporary peek through the mists of time into the prenativity story of Marys journey back to Joseph after the birth of John the Baptist. Before, during, and after her travels in a caravan with a crew of other young folks, this young Mary reflects, ponders, and bravely moves on, beginning to learn about fitting into Gods plan for her. At the nightly campfires along the route, we encounter fictional, everyday biblical people, imperfect and much like ourselves, when Mary joins in with the others as they share and comment on one anothers stories. Jerre Cline brings you a faith-based tale with a nod to Chaucer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543421309

Jerre Cline

The Franciscan aura surrounding the election of Pope Francis following the selfless retirement of Pope Benedict XIII in 2013 inspired Jerre Cline to share three short stories that he wrote prior to 2010. One turned out to be prophetic. These faith-based stories and his detective fiction written under the pen name, Jerre Morrissey, all hark back to memorable vacations in Switzerland (1980s-2003). He was a Korean War military historian stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany, and later became the father of five, a Catholic high school principal, and a volunteer counselor in federal prisons. His writing reflects his abiding, cheerful faith.

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Copyright © 2017 by .

Library of Congress Control Number:       2017907184

ISBN:                   Hardcover                     978-1-5434-2131-6

                            Softcover                       978-1-5434-2129-3

                            eBook                             978-1-5434-2130-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Characters, incidents, names and places either are used fictitiously or are products of the author’s imagination.

Rev. date: 06/08/2017

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CONTENTS

Author’s Note

Chapter 1 THE CHALLENGE

Chapter 2 ELIZABETH’S MIRACLE

Chapter 3 MOVING ON

Chapter 4 THE JOURNEY HOME

Chapter 5 THE SCRIBE’S TALE

Chapter 6 THE REBEL’S TALE

Chapter 7 THE LONER’S TALE

Chapter 8 THE POTTER’S TALE

Chapter 9 THE JILTED WIFE’S TALE

Chapter 10 MARY’S TALE

Chapter 11 THE RECKONING

Chapter 12 MARY’S HOMECOMING

Chapter 13 MARY AND JOSEPH

Author’s Note

My thanks to Geoffrey Chaucer, whose Canterbury Tales gave me the idea for sequencing my story, and to Frances Ginther, who sent me a copy of A Woman Wrapped in Silence, John W. Lynch’s marvelous poem of Mary’s life. Many thanks to Friar Mark Weaver, OFM, Conv., my pastor, who read my text, provided historical and agricultural advice, and returned it with the comment, I only wish it was longer. Special thanks to ABC: pAgeless Book Club of North Fort Myers, Florida, for reading my story and giving their insightful feedback and suggestions, many of which I adopted. And finally, many thanks to Tom Moore for providing the cover photo which he shot in the Holy Land last year, and to my granddaughter, Artist Elizabeth Mordensky, who formatted it for production. Also, The Nazareth Tales would not have been possible without the input and editing of my wife, Alexandra. This bit of recognition aside, and as my readers can see, whereas I’m the author, the book’s production is really a team effort.

CHAPTER 1

THE CHALLENGE

T HE GIRL IN the light blue cloak of wool fanned her face with her right hand and stepped back into the shade of the fruit tree branches gently stirring overhead. It could be chilly this time of year in the uplands, but today, at least, the weather pretended to be mild. Although others might claim differently, looking at her from afar, the young woman seemed to be the picture of Hebrew beauty that her people might yearn to project. All things aside, she was in fact a slender, well built, brown-haired and slightly taller than the average fifteen-year-old of her time and place.

She stood where she was because this was the scene of the crime. She smiled to herself. What had happened was hardly a crime, of course. After all, God made all the rules, and He was the author of her change, and He never could be found guilty of a crime. But ever since that meeting here in the garden something else had begun to happen, and today’s incident was not the first time.

Halfway through the midday meal, and just before the rigor of afternoon chores began, she had had to excuse herself and step outside for some air. Although she hadn’t seen herself in the polished metal mirror, she felt quite sure she’d turned a bit green before leaving the room.

Her father, Joachim, was out for the day. But thinking ahead, having him see her here like this day after day would not inspire him to anything very cheerful, particularly once he discovered what was behind her suffering.

Although Joachim was a good and tolerant man, he was greatly bothered when anything in his household went awry; and what had happened to her surely would set him off.

Oh, her malady was nothing fatal, but the shock that would follow after disclosing it likely would shake the house and perhaps their neighbors’ houses as well. After all, how often does a man of Joachim’s standing have to acknowledge that his daughter’s constant stomach upsets were caused by nature’s stern reminder that she was with child.

It had all begun not long after she had agreed to marry Joseph, a builder and carpenter, who lived nearby and worked right here in Nazareth and its environs. By reputation he was a man of virtue, not rich, but a successful man all the same. Furthermore, he was a man of whom her father approved. He had the right qualities. Joseph was steady, hardworking, generous, and God-fearing. Although only in his late thirties, he was a widower with children older than she, all of whom were either espoused or apprenticed away, leaving him a bachelor, living in an empty house, and ripe for a maiden’s picking. But she wasn’t the picker, although she’d been happy with her father’s choice.

All of this, when spelled out, meant a happy future for her, and she looked forward to being warmed in the love and arms of Joseph, running a household, loving God, and having children of her own to raise. But then, the stranger came.

She looked about her. By now, she had memorized every facet of this place. Their meeting had been almost exactly on the spot where she stood. It was late afternoon but not yet dusk, and she had been quietly thanking God for all the good things that were happening to her. (God was always present to her, but because of her human nature sometimes she momentarily might wish He was not quite so closely connected. But then God was God, and she’d been taught that He knew what she was going to think or do even before she thought it or did it. Furthermore, she loved God, and his presence really wasn’t a choice she had or a condition she’d ever really want to change; not at all.)

She had been daydreaming a bit that afternoon, looking out across the town to the hills beyond. She remembered how much she had been taken by the reds and yellows of the landscape as they gradually turned to blue under the descending sun. And then it happened; the conversation began.

It’s really quite beautiful, an unfamiliar male voice next to her had said.

Yes, she had agreed, slightly startled, for she had not heard or seen anyone approach. Turning, she could see how tall her visitor was, and she was a bit taken aback because, besides being a stranger, he seemed somewhat different than other men.

Rejoice, O highly favored daughter, he announced, and turning towards her, his voice took on the tone and cadence of one delivering a decree. The Lord is with you, and blessed are you among women, he said. He paused a few seconds to give her time to adjust to what he was saying, and who was saying it; but seeing anxiety about to set in, he went on.

Do not be afraid, Mary, I am the Archangel Gabriel, and I have come to tell you that you have found much favor with God, and it is His wish that you should conceive and bear His Son, and the child shall be called Jesus. Your Son will become great, and He will be given the throne of David. He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and His reign will be without end.

All this flashed through her mind, and shadows of the difficulties that lay ahead in what he said as well. Somehow regaining herself, she had asked the crucial question, How can this be, since I do not know man?

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the angel responded, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Holy Offspring to be born will be called the Son of God.

Then, to lighten her load, he told her of her cousin Elizabeth, a woman thought to be too old to have children, yet now in her sixth month of pregnancy, proving once again that anything is possible with God.

Mary was slow to give her consent. She was young, but nobody’s fool, so she tested in her mind what the angel had said: First off, few people would know she had cousin named Elizabeth, a woman